Typewriting machine



July 28,1925. I

B. C. STICKNEY TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed July '7, 1921 4 Sheets Sheet 1 July 28 1925.

B. C. STICKNEY TYPEWRITING "MACHINE Filed July 1 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 July 28, 1925.

B. C. STICKNEY TYPEWRITING mcnnm Filed July 7, 192-1 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented July 28, 1925.

UNITED STATES.

BURNHAM C. 'STIGKNEY, OF ELIZABETH,

PATENT OFFICE.

NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO UNDERWOOD TYPEWRITER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

TYPEWRITING MACHINE.

Application filed July 7,

To all col/tom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, BURNHAM C. STICK- NEY, a citizen of the United States, residing in Elizabeth, in the county of Union and- State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Typewriting Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to sound-deadening casings or hoods of the general type disclosed in my pending application, Serial No. 429,617, filed December 10, 1920 (now Patent No. 1,519,224, dated December 16, 1924).

The hood has a body part and a cover part hinged at the rear to said body part, which has a large front opening through which the machine may be inserted into the casing, and a front plate for closing said opening. A slot is provided at the front of the casing between the cover part and the body part, through which slot extend the various carriage-operating levers, so that ordinary typing operations may be carried on without raising the cover part. Means are provided for closing all of the slot not actually occupied by the carriage-operating levers, said means comprising cooperating strips or cushions fixed to the cover part and body part so that these cushions contact to closethe slot. Hitherto, the carriage-release lever was extended forwardly through the slot, and, when operated downwardly, the lower cushion was crushed and in some cases re gained its initial position with difficulty.

It is a feature of the present invention to provide carriage-release-lever operating mechanism which will not cause the cushion to be unduly depressed. For this purpose, there is provided an operating lever, one end of which projects forwardly outside of the casing and the other end of which is in em gagement with the carriage-release lever, and which swingsabout a pivot in such manner that the portion thereof which extends through the cushions is moved slightly in horizontal direction instead of being vertically depressed as heretofore. That portion of the lever which passes between the cushions is rounded.

It is another feature of this invention to provide a casing which shall be sound-proof, light in weight, and inexpensive to manufacture. For this purpose, the body part 1921. Serial No. 482,908.

and the cover part each comprise a skeleton or framework, preferably of metal, which defines the part in outline, and also provides the necessary reinforcements. There are then formed on the framework or skeleton the walls of the respective parts, said walls being formed of a plastic, moldable material, which sets and hardens or becomes rigid. This material may be of any suitable m'oldable composition, such as papier-mache', which, upon setting and hardening, forms a very light, durable sub stance which is: inert and does not readily transmit sound. The papieranach walls thus formed are not only light and soundproof, but are easy to construct and are inexpensive.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the skeleton or framework of the casing, showing both the body part and the cover part before the walls have been formed thereon.

Figure 2 is a front View, partly sectioned, showing the completed casing.

Figure 3 is a plan View, partly sectioned, of the completed casing as applied to an Underwood standard typewriting machine.

Figure 4 is an enlarged perspective view of the carriage-release-lever operating mechanism.

Figure 5 is 'a section taken on the line 55 of Figure 4, and shows in detail the shape of that portion of the operating lever which extends between the slot-closing cushions.

Figure 6 is a vertical section of the device as shown in Figure 3.

The Underwood standard typewriting machine comprises a main frame 10, supported upon a base 11 by supporting feet 12, and a forward extension 13 of said main frame, in which are positioned banks of with various forwardly-extending operating levers, such as line-space lever 23, carriagereturn finger-piece 24, and carriage-release lever 25 having a finger-piece 25 thereon.

" For deadening the sounds arising in the typing operation, there is provided a sounddeadening hood or casing comprising a body part 30'and a cover part 31 hinged at 32 to said body part. Said body part comprises a rear wall 33, side walls 34, and lateral extensions 35 on said side walls, said body part having a front wall in the form of two endportions 36 spaced apart to provide a large front opening to permit insertion of the machine into said casing. The machine is positioned within said casing by abutments 37 fixed to rear wall 33, the carriage of said machine being free to operate to the right and left over the extensions 85 on said body part. When the machine is positioned within the casing, the forward extension 13 projects forwardly therefrom. To close all of said front opening not occupied by said forward extension, there is provided a front plate 40, mounted upon the end-portions 36 by means of bolts 41 passing through co-opcrating lugs 42 and 48 attached to the front plate and to said end-portions, respectively,

said front plate carrying abutments 39 for contacting with the front of the main frame of the machine and cooperating with abutments 37 to fix the machine within the casing. The machine is thus enclosed atthe rear, sides, and front. There is also provided the cover part 31 having side walls 43, a rear wall 44, a top wall 45 forming a continuation of said rear wall (said top wall sloping downwardly and V forwardly and being provided with a window 46 to ermit the interior of the casing to be viewed and a front wall 47 terminating above the upper edge of the front plate 40. A slot occurs at the front of the machine between the lower edge of the front wall 47 and the upper edge of the front plate 40, through which slot the various carriage-operating levers, such as the line-space lever 23 and the carriagereturn finger-piece 24, extend to permit the ordinary operation of the machine without raising the cover part. For closing all of the slot no-t'actually occupied by the carriageoperating levers, there is provided a pair of co-operating cushions 50 and 51, the twoply edges of said cushions being clamped between bars 52 to form units which are mounted upon the front wall 47 and the front plate 40, respectively, so that the cushions contact to close the slot.

It is desirable that the carriage-release lever shall also extend forwardly through the cushion would be crushed when said lever was depressed to release the carriage from its rack. This would tend to unduly distort and wear out the lower cushion, the latter regaining its initial position with difficulty. There is, therefore, provided operating mechanism for said release-lever which shall not depress the cushion. For this purpose, there is provided an operating lever 55 whose end 56 is in contact with the forward end of the lever 25, said lever 55 being journaled in be rings 57 formed on arms 58 integral with carriage-return finger-piece'24, so that, by depressing the forward end of finger-piece 60 of the lever 55, the latter will rotate in the bearings 57 to cause end 56 to depress the carriage-release lever 25, said end 56 sliding laterally on the end of lever 25 while depressing the latter. The length of lever-arm from the pivotal axis through the bearings 57 to the finger-piece 60 is much greater than the vertical distance from said axis to the portion 61 which passes through the cooperating cushions, so that only a fraction of the linear movement of finger-piece 60 will be transmitted to the portion 61. The latter, therefore, rotates only slightly. As shown in Figure 5, its cross-section may be elliptical or rounded, so that in its slight swinging between the edges of the cushions, the edges of the portion 61 will have substantially no effect on the cushions, thus maintaining substantially the same relation betweenthe edges of said cushions at all times. The vertical distance from the axis througlr the bearings 57 to the operating portion 62 of lever 55 may be greater than the vertical distance from said axis to said portion 61, so that the linear movement applied to the end of lever 25 will be sufiicient to insure complete operation of the release-lever.

The body part and the cover part each comprise a skeleton or framework, preferably of metal, which defines the respective parts in outline and also provides the necessary reinforcements. The spaces between the girders of the framework may then be filled by some plastic, mol-dable material which can be easily worked and which, upon drying, sets and hardens. The casing is thus easily formed and the material of which its walls are composed is an inert, non-' elastic material which does not readily transmit sound and is therefore to be preferred to a casing having metal walls which would necessitate a lining of sound-deadening material. By referring to Figure 1, there is shown a skeleton or framework of the body part and the cover part. -The zontal flange 71 upon which the body part rests. At the four outermost corners of the base 70 are fastened, as by angle irons 73, risers 72 forming the outer edges of the side walls of the body part, said risers having portions 74 bent laterally at right angles to form the lower edges of the side extensions, and portions 7 extending upwardly at right angles to portions 7 and forming the extreme side edges of the side extensions. The upper edges of the body part are formed by means of an angle bar 77 on the upper ends of portions of rear risers 72 to form the upper edge of the rear wall of the body part, and angle bars 78 on the upper ends of portions 7 5 of adjacent side risers 72 to form the upper side edges of the extensions 35. The upper edges of the body part at the front are formed by angle bars 79, one at each side, each angle bar resting at its upper end on the ends of portions 75 of the respective front riser 72, and fastened at its lower end on the base 70 to form the inner edges of the end-portions 36 of the front wall, a block or spacer 79 being interposed between the lower ends of bars 79 and the frame 70, as shown in Figure 1, to effect proper relative positioning thereof. For outlining the upper edges of the side walls, there are provided angle bars 81 resting on the corners formed by bending the portions 7 4 at right angles to risers 72, and, for outlining the outer lower edges of the side extensions, there are provided angle bars 82 on the corners formed by bending portions 75 upwardly from portions 74-. It will thus be seen that all the ex treme edges of every wall of the body part are definitely outlined.

Similarly, the cover part comprises a lower frame formed by a rear angle bar 83 and side angle bars 84, said angle bars 83 and 84 having horizontal flanges 85 and 87 at their lower ends, flange 85 resting upon a similar flange on the upper end of angle bar 77 on the body part, while flange 87 is positioned above bar-78 of the body part because angle bar 84 rests upon angle bar 83, the space between flange 87 and bar 7 8 being filled by a strip of sound-deadening material 96. .The side walls of the cover part are outlined by bars 86 having the shape of the side walls and resting at one end in the rear corner formed by the angle bars 83 and 8e, and extending upwardly and then forwardly and downwardly until the other end rests at the forward end of the angle bars 84. To permit the transparent plate or window to be fitted into the top wall, a frame 88 is positioned between the side bars 86, said frame 88 having flanges 89 on its upper edges, the side flanges overlying the side bars 86 to support the frame thereon. To hold the transparent plate within the frame, there are provided lugs 90 (see Figure 6), fixed to the side bars 86 and engaging the under side of the plate, and an outer frame applied to the flanges 89 and extending within the border of frame 88 to engage the upper surface of the transparent plate and prevent forward or up ward movement thereof. Since the rear walls of the body part and cover part are thelargest, the rear wall of the body part. is provided with a reinforcing bar 92 ex tending between the rear angle bar ofv frame 70 and the angle bar 7 7, and the cover part is provided with a. similar reinforcing member 93 extending from the angle bar 83 to the angle bar formed by the rear member or frame 88 and the flange on said member. After the transparent plate has. been inserted in frame 88 where it is held by the lugs on the side bars 86, it is fixed within said frame. by applying the outer frame 95 to flanges: 89, said frame 95 terminating in a vertical member forming the front wall 47 of the cover part to which the cushion 50 is later attached.

In order that the framework of the cover part may be hinged to the framework of the body part, the angle bar 77 and angle bar 83 have their vertical members on the outside and in alignment so that the hinge 32 may be fixed to said vertical members to fasten the cover part to the body part. To permit the rear abutments to be fixed to the rear angle bar of frame 7 0-, the vertical member of said rear angle bar is positioned inwardly and the abutments 37 fixed thereto.

It will be observed from Figure 1 that, when the framework of each part is completed, the walls forming said part are definitely outlined at all extrem'e edges either by angle bars or by bars which are four-sided in cross-section, so that each wall is bounded by fiat surfaces formed by flanges of the angle bars or by sides of the four-sided bars. This construction renders it easy to form the walls on the framework. It will be apparent that the walls to be formed are the rear, side, side extensions, and end-portions forming the front wall of the body part, and the side, rear, and top walls (exclusive of the portion occupied by the transparent plate-holding frame) of the cover part. A cement-like or clay-like substance, which sets and hardens upon drying, may then be molded between the limiting members of the framework to form the walls, any suitable mold being used for the purpose, the flat surfaces bounding each wall providing the necessary support for said walls. Preferably, the substance tobe used for forming the walls is papier-mach because of its 1 lightness, the ease with which it can be worked, its small cost, and, after hardening, its inelasticity which renders it a poor conductor of sound.

Variations may be resorted to within the scope of the invention, and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

'1. The combination with a typewriting machine, of a sound-deadening casing fitted thereon and comprising a body-part and a cover-part hinged thereto at the rear and formed mainly of light, sound-deadening molded material, said cover-part including a self-sustaining open frame comprising ends, each in the form of an open frame having a base, an upright port-ion curved forwardly at'its upper end and extending forwardly and downwardly to the front of the cover-part and then downwardly to the front endof the base, a window-frame attached to the forwardly and downwardly extending portions of the end frames, a transverse metal stiifening frame member connecting the lower rear corners of said ends of the cover-part, and a stiff metal member extending upwardly from said transverse member and curved forwardly and attached to said window-frame.

2. The combination with a typewriting machine, of a sound-deadening casing fitted to said machine and comprising a body-portion having a base of light sounddea.dening material including a transverse rear member, side members, and short front members extending inwardly from the forward ends of the side members; outer stiffening metal posts extending upwardly at the ends of said side members of the base and bent outwardly and then upwardly; and inner stiffening metal posts at the inner ends of said front members extending upwardly to the full height of the front outer posts and then outwardly for connection therewith.

3. A sound-deadening casing for a typewriting machine, said casing comprising a body-part and a cover-part hinged at the rear to the body-part, each of said parts comprising a framework outlining the walls of the respective part, said cover-part com prising a transparent plate for permitting the interior of the casing to be viewed, a frame for said plate, said frame being set into the framework of said cover-part, and means on the framework of the cover-part for engaging the lower surface of the plate to prevent downward movement thereof.

4. A sound-deadening casing for a typewriting machine, said casing comprising a body-part and a cover-part hinged at the rear to the body-part, each of said parts comprising a framework outlining the walls of the respective part, said cover-part comprising a transparent plate for permitting the interior of the casing to be viewed, a frame for said plate, said frame being set into the framework of said cover-part, means on the framework of the cover-part for engaging the lower surface of the plate to prevent downward movement thereof, and asecond frame mounted on said first frame and extending beyond the inner edges of said first frame to overlie the edges of the transparent plate and prevent upward movement thereof.

5. A sound-deadenihg casing for a typewriting machine, said casing comprising a body-part and a cover-part hinged at the rear to the body-part, each of said parts comprising a framework outlining the walls of the respective part, said cover-part comprising a transparent plate for permitting the interior of the casing to be viewed, a frame for said plate, said frame being set into the framework of said cover-part, means on'the framework of the cover-part for engaging the lower surface ofthe plate to prevent downward movement thereof, and a second frame mounted on said first frame and extending beyond the inner edges of said first frame to overlie the edges of the transparent plate and prevent upward movement thereof, said second frame comprising a depending portion at the front forming the front wall of the cover-part.

6. In a typewriting machine for use in a sound-deadening casing having a slot extending across the front thereof and 00-013- erating cushions on the opposite sides of said slot to close the same, the combination with a carriage, of a carriage-release lever on said carriage, and means, including a manually-operable member passing through said slot to the outside of the casing for actuating said carriage-release lever, and mounted 011 the carriage to turn about a forwardly and rearwardly extending axis.

7. The combination with asound-deaderr ing casing comprising a body-part and a cover providing a slot therebetween, of a t-ypewriting machine comprising a carriage, a carriage-release lever pivoted at one side of the carriage, and means extending through said slot to actuate said carriagerelease lever, comprising a rear arm to engage said carriage-release lever, a front arm outside of the casing, and a connecting portion extending through said slot parallel to the axis about which the lever swings.

8. A sound-deadening casing for a typewriting machine, said machine comprising a carriage having a carriage-return fingerpiece and a carriage-release-lever extending forwardly therefrom, said casing comprising a body-part and acover-part forming a slotat the front, extensions on said carriagereturn finger-piece forming bearings, and an operating lever rotatably mounted'in said bearings, oneend of said operating lever extending to the outside of the casing, and the other end of said operating lever engaging said carriage-release-lever to actuate the latter when the operating lever is rotated.

- side of the casing, and the other end of said 9. A sound-deadening casing for a typewriting machine, said machine comprising a carriage having a carriage-return fingerpiece and a carriage-release-lever extending forwardly therefrom, said casing comprising a body-part and a cover-part forming a slot at the front, extensions on said carriagereturn finger-piece forming bearings having a horizontal axis, and an operating lever rotatably mounted in said bearings, one end of said operating lever extending to the outoperating lever engaging said carriage-release-lever to actuate the latter when the operating lever is rotated.

10. A sound-deadening casing for a type writing machine, said machine comprising a carriage having a carriage-releaselever extending forwardly therefrom and operable downwardly, said casing comprising a bodypart and a cover-part forming a slot at the front, co-operating cushions mounted on the body-part and cover-part to close said slot, and an operating lever rotatably mounted on said carriage and passing between said cushions to the outside of the casing, one end of said operating lever engaging said carriage-release-lever to actuate the latter when the operating lever is rotated, said operating lever rotating between the cushions to prevent distortion thereof.

11. A sound-deadening casing for a typewriting machine, said machine comprising a carriage having a carriage-release-lever extending forwardly therefrom and operable downwardly, said casing comprising a bodypart and a cover-part forming a slot at the front, co-operating cushions mounted on the body-part and cover-part to close said slot, and an operating lever rotatably mounted on said carriage and passing between said cushions to the outside of the casing, one end of said operating lever engaging said carriagerelease-lever to actuate the latter when the operating lever is rotated, the portion of the operating lever which passes between the cushions having convex surfaces, so that said portion rolls between the cushions to prevent distortion thereof when the operating lever is rotated to depress the carriage-release-lever.

12. A sound-deadening casing for a typewriting machine, said machine comprising a carriage having a carriage-release-lever extending forwardly therefrom and operable downwardly, said casing comprising a body-part and a cover-part forming a. slot at the front, co-operating cushions mounted on the body-part and cover-part to close said slot, and an operating lever rotatably mounted on said carriage and passing between said cushions to the outside of the casing, one end of said operating lever engaging said carriage-release-lever to actuate the latter when the operating lever is rotated, the portion of the operating lever which passes between the cushions having rounded surfaces forming tapering side edges, so that said portion rolls between the cushions to prevent distortion thereof when the operating lever is rotated to depress the carriage-release-lever.

13. A sound-deadening casing for a typewriting machine, said machine comprising a carriage having a carriage-release-lever ex tending forwardly therefrom and operable downwardly, said casing comprising a body-part and a cover-part forming a slot at the front, co -operating cushions mounted on the body-part and cover-part to close said slot, and an operating lever rotatably mounted on said carriage and passing between said cushions to the outside of the casing, one end of said operating lever engaging said carriage-release-lever to actuate the 1 latter when the operating lever is rotated, the portion of the operating lever which passes between the cushions being substantially elliptical in cross-section, so that said portion rolls between the cushions to pre vent distortion thereof when the operating lever is rotated to depress the carriagerelease-lever.

14. A sound-deadening casing for a typewriting machine, said machine comprising a carriage having a carriage-return fingerpiece and a carriage-release-lever extending forwardly therefrom, said casing comprising a body-part and a cover-part forming a slot at the front, oo-operating cushions mounted on the body-part and the coverpart to close said slot, said carriage-return finger-piece passing between said cushions to the outside of the casing, extensions on said finger-piece forming bearings having a horizontal axis, and an operating lever rotatably mounted in said bearings, one end of said operating lever passing between said cushions and extending to the outside of the casing, and the other end of said operating lever engaging said release-lever to actuate the latter when the operating lever is rotated in its bearings, said operating lever rotating between the cushions to prevent distortion thereof.

15. The combination with a typewriting machine, of a sound-deadening casing therefor having at its front a transverse slot and co-operating cushions mounted at opposite sides of the slot to close the same, said typewriting machine comprising a carriage, a carriage-return finger-piece extending forwardly from the carriage through said slot, a forwardly-extending carriage-release lever on said carriage, and a member passing through said slot to actuate the carr1age-release lever from the outside of the casing, said member comprising a bail extending through said slot and having two arms, one pivoted on said carriage-return finger-piece inside said casing and the other pivoted on said carriage-return finger-piece outside said casing, a finger piece forming an extension of the outer arm of the bail, and an extension of the inner arm of said bailengaging said carriage-release lever to actuate the same when the finger-piece at the outer end of the bail is operated.

1.6. The combination with a typewriting machine, of a. sound-deadening casing fitted to said machine and comprising a body-portion having a base comprising a transverse rear member, side members, and short front members extending inwardly from the forvard ends of the side members, all of said members formed of light sound-deadening material; outer posts extending upwardly at the ends of said side members of the base and bent outwardly and then upwardly; inner posts at the inner ends of said front members extending upwardly to the full height of the front outer posts and then outwardly for connection therewith; and bars connecting the upper ends of the outer posts; said posts and bars formed of stiifening metal. a

17. The combination with a typewriting machine, of a sound-deadening casing fitted to said machine and comprising a body portion having a base comprising a trans verse rear member, side members, and short front members extending inwardly from the forward ends of the side members, all of said members formed of light sound-dead ening material; outer posts extending upivardly at the ends of said side members of the base and bent outwa'dly and then upwardly; inner posts at the inner ends of said front members extending upwardly'to the full height of the front outer posts and 40 then outwardly for connection therewith; and bars connecting the outer posts at the bends therein; said posts and bars formed of stiffening metal.

BURNHAM C. STICKNEY. Witnesses JENNIE P. THORNE, EDITH B. LIBBEY. 

